SASKATCHEWAN — The province is officially recognizing the power, resilience and economic impact of women in business with the proclamation of May 10–16 as Women Entrepreneurs Week.
The week is more than a celebration. For many women across Saskatchewan, it is a recognition of the obstacles they continue to face while building companies, supporting families and strengthening communities.
“Women contribute significantly to the economy through entrepreneurship, but are often unable to access opportunities to grow,” said Jessica Pegg, program and growth manager with Women Entrepreneurs of Saskatchewan (WESK).
Pegg said the awareness week helps shine a spotlight on long-standing barriers tied to funding, procurement opportunities, business networks and scaling companies.
“It helps us course-correct on the entrepreneurship gap that exists with women versus men owning their own businesses,” Pegg said. “Women receive less than two per cent of global procurement spending.”
Despite those challenges, women entrepreneurs remain one of the province’s most important economic forces.
According to WESK, women-owned businesses generate roughly $90 billion annually across Canada and employ more than one million people. In Saskatchewan alone, about 21 per cent of private-sector businesses are majority-owned by women.
Pegg said many women still rely heavily on personal savings instead of loans or investment capital, limiting their ability to grow. Others are balancing entrepreneurship alongside full-time employment, caregiving responsibilities, and raising children.
“There’s just a lot of nuances of being women and being entrepreneurs and not being able to necessarily show up in the same kind of capacity as our men counterparts,” Pegg told SaskToday.
The challenges can be even greater outside Saskatchewan’s major cities.
More than half of women-owned businesses in Saskatchewan are located in rural communities, where access to mentorship, networking and business resources is often limited.
To help bridge that gap, WESK launched its Rural Ambassador Program in 2024 with support from PrairiesCan. The initiative places experienced women entrepreneurs directly into rural communities to serve as mentors, organizers, and connectors.
“They are kind of our boots on the ground in those communities,” Pegg explained. “They dictate how WESK shows up in those spaces.”
The impact has been significant. WESK says rural membership has increased by 70 per cent since the program launched, with networking events, panels, and local gatherings helping women entrepreneurs connect to support systems that may not have existed before.
The organization is now entering its third year of renewed PrairiesCan funding, while additional investment from Women and Gender Equality Canada will help expand WESK programming, advising and mentorship opportunities.
Pegg said one of the organization’s biggest priorities is changing outdated perceptions surrounding women-owned businesses.
“I think some misconceptions that people might have is that women aren’t putting all of their energy or all of their effort into entrepreneurship,” she expressed. “That it’s a side hustle or something they’re doing from their living room.”
In reality, Pegg said many women are pouring enormous amounts of time, energy and passion into businesses that support their households and create opportunities for their families and communities.
“There are so many women in our province that are really growing and scaling and expanding their businesses,” she added. “A lot of businesses are actually owned by women, and people don’t realize they’re owned by women.”
That desire for visibility is also driving a major change to WESK’s annual gala.
The organization is launching a reimagined WESK Entrepreneurs of the Year celebration, shifting away from traditional business award models that often focus heavily on revenue and rapid growth.
Instead, the new recognition categories will spotlight entrepreneurs for leadership, community impact, culture-building, innovation, and resilience.
“We really wanted to lean into the actual experience of an entrepreneur and celebrate entrepreneurship instead of celebrating business growth,” Pegg said.
The nomination deadline is June 12 and the application deadline is June 19 with the celebration scheduled for Sept. 16.
For Pegg, the mission ultimately comes down to helping women feel seen, supported and empowered to start.
“Having been an entrepreneur myself, I would say the only mistake you can make is not starting,” she said. “You can’t do it wrong. Everyone builds their business their own way.”
